Question:
Evaluate the integral
$$
I = \int_{0}^{\infty} \frac{x^{4} \ln x}{\sinh^{2} x} \, dx.
$$
Grade: Graduate Level
Type: Calculus
Knowledge Points: Dirichlet Series Expansion, Mellin Transform, Gamma Function,
Digamma Function, Riemann Zeta Function
Thinking Process :
The integrand combines three structures:
A polynomial $\ x^4$,
A logarithmic factor $\ln x$,
A hyperbolic denominator $\sinh^2 x$.
The presence of $\ln x$ strongly suggests differentiation with respect to a Mellin parameter,
since logarithms arise naturally when differentiating $x^{s-1}$.
The denominator is transformed first because hyperbolic functions are difficult to integrate
directly. Using a Dirichlet-type exponential expansion converts the integral into a sum of
Laplace-type integrals.
Absolute convergence justifies interchanging summation and integration.
Each resulting integral matches the derivative of the Gamma integral with respect to its
parameter, producing digamma terms.
After simplification, the series reduces to classical Dirichlet sums involving
$$
\frac{1}{n^4}
\quad \text{and} \quad
\frac{\ln(n)}{n^4},
$$
which are directly expressible using the Riemann zeta function and its derivative.
Substituting the known closed form for
$$
\zeta(4)
$$
yields the final analytic expression.
No further simplification is possible because
$$
\zeta'(4)
$$
has no elementary closed form.
Solution Process:
Step 1 : Expand the hyperbolic term:
@Key_Step@ Use the exponential series representation of
$$
\frac{1}{\sinh^2 x}.
$$
From the identity
$$
\frac{1}{e^{2x} - 1}
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} e^{-2nx},
$$
differentiate both sides with respect to $x$.
Using the fact that
$$
\frac{d}{dx}
\left(
\frac{1}{e^{2x} - 1}
\right)
-\frac{2e^{2x}}{(e^{2x} - 1)^2}
-\frac{1}{2}\frac{1}{\sinh^2 x},
$$
we obtain
$$
-\frac{1}{2}\frac{1}{\sinh^2 x}
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} (-2n)e^{-2nx}.
$$
Simplifying both sides gives
$$
\frac{1}{\sinh^2 x}
4 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n e^{-2nx}.
$$
@Key_Intermediate_Results: $\frac{1}{\sinh^2 x}=4\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n e^{-2nx}$@
Step 2: Substitute into the integral:
Substituting the expansion
$$
\frac{1}{\sinh^2 x}
4 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n e^{-2nx}
$$
into the integral gives
$$
4 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}
\int_{0}^{\infty}
x^{4} \ln x \, e^{-2nx} \, dx.
$$
@Key_Step@ Justify exchanging summation and integration.
For each fixed $n$, the integrand behaves like $x^{4}\ln x$ near $0$, which is integrable
since
$$
\int_{0}^{1} x^{4} |\ln x| \, dx < \infty.
$$
As $x \to \infty$, the factor $e^{-2nx}$ ensures exponential decay, dominating the
polynomial growth of $x^{4}\ln x$.
Moreover, for every $x > 0$, the series
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n e^{-2nx}
$$
converges absolutely.
Therefore, by Fubini’s theorem (or Tonelli’s theorem for non-negative terms), we may
interchange summation and integration.
Step 3: Evaluate the parametric integral:
We use the Gamma-function identity:
$$
\int_{0}^{\infty}
x^{s-1} e^{-ax} \, dx
\frac{\Gamma(s)}{a^{s}},
\qquad a > 0.
$$
Differentiate with respect to $s$:
$$
\int_{0}^{\infty}
x^{s-1} \ln x \, e^{-ax} \, dx
\frac{\partial}{\partial s}
\left(
\frac{\Gamma(s)}{a^{s}}
\right).
$$
Compute the derivative:
$$
\frac{\partial}{\partial s}
\left(
\frac{\Gamma(s)}{a^{s}}
\right)
\frac{\Gamma'(s)}{a^{s}}
\frac{\Gamma(s)\ln a}{a^{s}}.
$$
Set
$$
s = 5,
\qquad
a = 2n.
$$
Thus,
$$
\int_{0}^{\infty}
x^{4} \ln x \, e^{-2nx} \, dx
\frac{\Gamma'(5)}{(2n)^{5}}
\frac{\Gamma(5)\ln(2n)}{(2n)^{5}}.
$$
Step 4: Compute special Gamma values:
$$
\Gamma(5) = 4! = 24.
$$
Using
$$
\Gamma'(s) = \Gamma(s)\psi(s),
$$
where $\psi$ is the digamma function.
At the integer argument,
$$
\psi(5) = H_4 - \gamma.
$$
Compute the harmonic number:
$$
H_4
1 + \frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{3} + \frac{1}{4}
\frac{25}{12}.
$$
Therefore,
$$
\Gamma'(5)
24\left(\frac{25}{12} - \gamma\right).
$$
@Key_Intermediate_Results: $\Gamma'(5)=24\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma\right)$
Step 5: Substitute back carefully:
We obtain
$$
4 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}
\left[
\frac{24\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma\right)}{(2n)^5}
\frac{24\ln(2n)}{(2n)^5}
\right].
$$
Since
$$
(2n)^5 = 32 n^5,
$$
this becomes
$$
4 \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}
\left[
\frac{24\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma\right)n}{32 n^5}
\frac{24 n \ln(2n)}{32 n^5}
\right].
$$
Simplify the powers:
$$
\frac{n}{n^5} = \frac{1}{n^4}.
$$
Thus,
$$
\frac{96}{32}
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}
\left[
\frac{\frac{25}{12}-\gamma}{n^4}
\frac{\ln(2n)}{n^4}
\right].
$$
Since
$$
\frac{96}{32} = 3,
$$
we obtain
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}
\left[
\frac{\frac{25}{12}-\gamma}{n^4}
\frac{\ln(2n)}{n^4}
\right].
$$
@Key_Intermediate_Results:
$$
3\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}
\left[
\frac{\frac{25}{12}-\gamma}{n^4}
-
\frac{\ln(2n)}{n^4}
\right].
$$
Step 6: Express in terms of zeta functions:
Split
$$
\ln(2n) = \ln 2 + \ln n.
$$
Thus,
$$
3\left[
\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma-\ln 2\right)
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{n^4}
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\ln n}{n^4}
\right].
$$
Using
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{n^4} = \zeta(4),
$$
we obtain
$$
I
3\left[
\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma-\ln 2\right)\zeta(4)
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\ln n}{n^4}
\right].
$$
Use the identity
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\ln n}{n^s}
-\zeta'(s).
$$
Therefore,
$$
\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\ln n}{n^4}
-\zeta'(4).
$$
Hence,
$$
=
3\left[
\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma-\ln 2\right)\zeta(4)
\zeta'(4)
\right].
$$
@Key_Intermediate_Results: $\zeta(4)=\frac{\pi^4}{90}$
Step 7: Substituting
$$
\zeta(4)=\frac{\pi^4}{90},
$$
we obtain
$$
3\left[
\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma-\ln 2\right)\frac{\pi^4}{90}
\zeta'(4)
\right].
$$
Final Answer:
$$
3\left[
\left(\frac{25}{12}-\gamma-\ln 2\right)\frac{\pi^4}{90}
+
\zeta'(4)
\right].
$$